Aging rocker Rod Stewart and late blooming singer Susan Boyle will headline the Commonwealth Games opening ceremony in Glasgow.

Stewart, 69, whose father was Scottish, and Britain's Got Talent 2009 finalist Boyle, 53, originally from West Lothian, will sing for an expected crowd of 40,000 at Celtic Park on July 23.

The massive TV audience will also see Scottish talents including the singer-songwriter Amy Macdonald, violinist Nicola Benedetti and Gaelic-language singer Julie Fowlis perform.

But organisers have abandoned plans to demolish five high-rise buildings that are part of Glasgow's infamous Red Road housing estate. They stated safety concerns as the main reason, though their plans drew a massive public outcry when they were revealed earlier this year.

Meanwhile, Australian singer Kylie Minogue would perform a five-song set at the closing ceremony on August 3.

Her appearance would link Glasgow with the host of the 2018 Games, Australia's Gold Coast.